Arkansas Football: Complete 2015 Spring Practice Primer
One hot month, and suddenly Arkansas isn't the punchline to a depressing SEC West joke anymore.
After shutting out LSU and Ole Miss in November and holding Texas to a shanked pitching wedge worth of total offense (59 yards) in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl, the Razorbacks are being mentioned in the discussion to win the SEC West.
Is that real, or is it just a product of a hot month to close the season?
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The answer to that question starts getting answered on Monday, when third-year head coach Bret Bielema raises the curtain on Arkansas' spring practice.
What to Watch on Offense
When former offensive coordinator Jim Chaney moved on to take the same job at Pitt, it left Bielema in a bind to find a pro-style college coach, which are rapidly become the coaching equivalent of unicorns. The answer for Bielema was in the head coaching ranks, where former Central Michigan head coach Dan Enos left the program to take over as an assistant in the SEC.
How much will change? Not much, considering four offensive linemen and running backs Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins—both of whom were 1,000-yard rushers a year ago—are back with the Hogs.
"We've always felt really strongly about having two major guys and one role player, and I think J-Will will take the lead on the role that he'll play his year," Bielema told Bleacher Report.
The biggest question is whether or not quarterback Brandon Allen can evolve into a difference-maker rather than simply a game manager. He managed games well last year, throwing 20 touchdowns and only five picks while playing through injuries late in the year, and returns leading wide receiver Keon Hatcher and weapon Hunter Henry at tight end.
| 2010 | Ryan Radcliff | 60.5 | 3,358 | 17 | 17 |
| 2011 | Ryan Radcliff | 56.7 | 3,286 | 25 | 16 |
| 2012 | Ryan Radcliff | 59.5 | 3,158 | 23 | 9 |
| 2013 | Cooper Rush | 56.7 | 2,349 | 15 | 15 |
| 2014 | Cooper Rush | 63.6 | 3,157 | 27 | 13 |
What's more, Enos produced 3,000-yard passers in four of his last five seasons as Central Michigan's head coach. Bielema has had exactly one of those—Russell Wilson at Wisconsin in 2011 (3,175 yards)—during his entire head coaching career.
He's not going to come to Fayetteville and sling it all over the field, but he could swing the pendulum slightly toward a more open offense, which would open those holes for Williams and Collins even more on the ground.
If Allen becomes a weapon this spring, it will signal that the Hogs will truly be dangerous this fall.
What to Watch on Defense
The catalyst to Arkansas' late-season success last year was a defense that finished second in the SEC in rush defense (114.62 YPG) and one of the most physical front sevens in the SEC.
The problem, though, is that linebacker Martrell Spaight, defensive end Trey Flowers and defensive tackle Darius Philon—three of the most important pieces of last season's puzzle—are all gone.
Talented big men return up front, including defensive ends JaMichael Winston and Deatrich Wise, as well as defensive tackles Bijhon Jackson and Taiwan Johnson. But can they impact the pocket in the same way as last year's crew?
As Josh Bertaccini of KSQM 92.1 The Ticket in Fayetteville notes, it's all about the youth on defense:
If Arkansas can finish the season with less than five yards per play, watch out for the Hogs. A new offense with veteran pieces when combined with a stifling defense is a dangerous combination.
Freshman to Keep an Eye on
With the defensive line being the most important piece of the puzzle, the focus will be on true freshman early enrollee Hjalte Froholdt.
The 6'4", 282-pounder from Warren, Ohio, hails from Denmark and only was introduced five years ago according to Bleacher Report's Sanjay Kirpalani, playing both defensive line and tight end.
"We put on some way oversized equipment because their club didn't have anything else," Froholdt told Kirpalani. "We got taught the fundamentals because we had some great coaches. We pretty much were taught everything because it wasn't like you just play offensive line or defensive line. Over there, you play everything because you had to play where you were needed."
That athleticism will be a huge benefit for Froholdt, who could earn early playing time as a rotational defensive end and perhaps a role player in specific packages that feature multiple tackles lining up at end.
Coach Bielema's Toughest Task
Staying in the proper gear.
Arkansas' close to the 2014 season dramatically shifted the trajectory of the program, despite the fact that Bielema still only has two SEC wins over his first two seasons and boasts a sub-.500 record overall as the head coach of the Hogs.
Just how quickly have things changed? Sporting News has Arkansas ranked fourth in the country in its way-too-early top 25.
Not the SEC West or the SEC. The country.
Hello, expectations.
Bielema's biggest issue is making sure that his players don't buy into the hype, stay on the same path that Bielema and his staff has had them on over the last two seasons and continue the rebuilding process of a program that was in turmoil just two seasons ago.
Before Arkansas hits overdrive and speeds toward the College Football Playoff, it needs to prove that it can contend with the SEC's big boys on a consistent basis.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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